Tara Moses started Empowering Our Women to raise awareness on the prevalence of gender base violence within St. Lucia, as well as, educate young women on the importance of sexual health. We talk to her about starting her non profit and life on St Lucia. To hear more about Tara and see more interviews with other amazing women, check out our series Weekly Woman or visit Jubilance.com/blog
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Alice: Okay. Perfect. So welcome so much. We’re so excited to have you on the podcast today.
Tara Moses: Yes, I’m glad. Hello, everyone. I think can’t see me, but hi, my name is Tara Moses, and I’m the co-founder and president of Empowering Our Women in Saint Lucia.
Alice: Amazing! So we kind of start off with some more fun questions or maybe not so fun this question, but what have you been up to during the pandemic?
Tara: Well, right now, well, I can begin from 2020. We’ve been focusing both on sexual reproductive health and rights as well as gender-based violence that greatly affect young women within Saint Lucia.
Alice: Mm-hmm. Can you talk a little bit about empowering young women? So, what is this organization?
Tara: Well, our organization basically focuses on educating women on the importance of sexual reproductive health and rights, mental health, raising awareness on the privilege of gender-based violence, as well as trying to create a formality with leadership in communities, and trying to build community work on involvement among young women.
Alice: Oh, that’s amazing. And I found your organization on Instagram and the amazing work that you’re doing. You just finished what had been culminating in like a 2 or 3-year project— the Period Pride project? Can you talk a little bit about what that is?
Tara: Well, yes. So, we started executing the career of Pride project in 2021. So we tied to alignment with the menstrual hygiene awareness day, which is May 28th. So we trying to separate from the hygiene pots and trying to raise more awareness among period poverty, instead of focusing on thinking that period is dirty, and that we need to clean up ourselves when we get out during our period. So it’s a lot of having that kind of mentality. We try to shift it more on raising awareness on period equity that affects real young girls.
Alice: So can you talk a little bit more about that? As a podcast based in America, maybe we have a very different aspect of how we think about menstruation and taboo. Can you talk about what the current thinking is on Saint Lucia about menstruation?
Tara: Well, I guess it’s a global issue, to be honest. There’s always the stigma that [inaudible] I’m that. When we discuss about period, we have this kind of uncomfortable feeling that we are unready to embrace it. We always have that kind of negative mentality towards period that it’s just painful, and that we should hate it instead of embracing it and loving it. And while that is natural and then it’s very healthy about periods. So, I think it’s like a global issue and not only in Saint Lucia.
Alice: And what is the period education look like in Saint Lucia? In America, we have a health class when we’re in fifth grade, sixth grade, so like eleven or twelve, where they talk about your period for the first time. What does it look like? What do you guys do in Saint Lucia?
Tara: Well, we have specific courses in our curriculum that not really in-depth focus on menstrual hygiene or the female anatomy. So, it’s like a brief lesson, basically. So it doesn’t really go in-depth on how to care for ourselves and understanding how menstruation works, or usually, companies come in and do a brief introduction to it and nothing really in-depth on educating girls on what’s to be expected on their period, what to do and what not to do, and what signs to know that you are having some stuff like PCOS and other stuff that affects your body while you’re on your period. [inaudible]
Alice: Yeah, so that’s great that they are empowering our women so people can learn a little bit more in-depth about what a period is and what this thing that happens like once a month is happening in half the population.
Tara: That is extremely true. That is very true.
Alice: So, what exactly are you doing with the education component with Empowering Our Women? How are you getting everything out there?
Tara: Well, since we’re still in a pandemic, we’re trying to have everything online and do everything on social media, but we are trying to expand our formality and try to reach the schools as much as possible in the near future. But, right now, we’re just strictly thinking about having advocacy on social media, for now.
Alice: That’s so cool. Yeah, I think that’s really helpful in getting out to a huge community, touched internationally, as well as the Caribbean and Saint Lucia, which is really cool. Yeah. Can you talk a little bit about what’s been happening with the pandemic in Saint Lucia? How are you guys doing?
Tara: Well, it’s been pretty bad, to be honest. The pandemic has really affected our main industry, which is our tourism industry. But right now, we kind of recuperating from the effects of the pandemic as we bring in more tourists in the last couple of months. So, it’s kind of a good sign that we’re trying to cope with the pandemic. But however, it still greatly affects adolescent girls, especially with the lack of economic mobility among these certain groups because within our region, there’s a high level of informal work. And yes, it’s all basically affects young women more than our counterparts, male counterparts, basically, so yes.
Alice: Oh man, I am so sorry about that.
Tara: Yes, it’s totally understandable. So, we’re trying our best to try and cope with trying to end that stigma against pure poverty, to try and raise awareness, and try and incorporate menstrual products that will, you know, menstrual awareness during the pandemic.
Alice: That’s awesome. And you guys have been able to donate a lot of period products to women in need, which is amazing. Can you talk a little bit more about that?
Tara: Thank you very much. Yes, so we started in 2020. We began with distributing menstrual packages like Boggle. So, we started targeting adolescent girls within, who were more vulnerable than others. So, we started in the Upton Gardens Girls’ Centre and in the transit home which is in Saint Lucia. And in 2021, we decided to extend our reach to schools, so we decided to create our Period Pride campaign. Yes, and we made our little personal femme pack[?] swift like more products in our first package distribution. So, we try to reach the schools in the rural communities and where young girls are more highly affected.
Alice: That’s awesome. Wow, that’s amazing. I’m sure people are just so thrilled to get that.
Tara: Yes, they really love the packaging at first. So, yes, we are happy that we made an impact on the lives of these adolescent girls. It means a lot to us.
Alice: Wow, that’s amazing. And how are you able to fund everything? How can people help? Do you get donations? How are you able to-
Tara: So, within 2020, it has been extremely hectic. We’ve been on any grounds because we were [inaudible] upcoming organization. So we had to be promoting on our social media and asking for donations, and asking for organizations that can help give us a little bit of funds or items that could help create our packages. It was a bit difficult to try and fund the first cycle, the first package donation drive. However, in 2021, we applied for funds, and we ended up getting funds from the free assemblies fund. So, it was amazing that we have funds already. So we just have to just purchase some of the items, and everything was organized already. So that was amazing.
Alice: Wow, that’s incredible. Congratulations on those grants!
Tara: Thank you very much.
Alice: That is quite a feat. That’s awesome.
Tara: Yes, it was. I was extremely thankful for that, to be honest, coming from a [inaudible] just exist in 2018. And we know, we don’t have much experience with funds[?] making and stuff like that, and it just happened, and we got so lucky, extremely lucky with that. So I’m extremely thankful.
Alice: Wow. And where do you see Empowering Our Women going in the future? What’s next for you guys?
Tara: Well, since we already started with gender-based violence, as well as sexual reproductive health and rights, we’re trying to most likely incorporate it together in future advocacy. And so hopefully, in for [inaudible], we try to focus on both sexual reproductive health and how it coincides with gender-based violence as well. And also, we’re trying to do something more on leadership and allowing those to get some more education, how to market themselves who have interest in having a small business, basically. So, we’re trying to focus on both leadership aspect, as well as recent advocacy for social issues that affect adolescent girls.
Alice: Wow, that’s amazing. Congratulations. You guys are doing a lot. That’s awesome.
Tara: Thank you very much.
Alice: And something I didn’t ask before is how did you end up starting Empowering Our Women? What prompted you to create this organization in 2018?
Tara: Well, I always realize that there was a significant need for advocacy organizations that focus on the well-being of young adolescent girls and women in st. Lucia, and there was a significant impact within that aspects here. So, myself and another young lady, we decided to come up with this organization and try to end the stigma, and also try and create outreach programs to our least assist girls who are in need. So yes, basically that’s how we came into existence.
Alice: Yeah, that’s awesome. And something that we always ask on this podcast Tara is what is your definition of womanhood?
Tara: Well, I was- a brief overview of everything. Well, to me, womanhood means embracing yourself and being proud that you’re a woman no matter what society has to say about, the stigma and the forms of barriers that we face as women. I believe that no matter what society has against us, or what kind of [inaudible] we have faced, we still have that courage and that pride to help us account like- Sorry.
Alice: No, I think that’s awesome. It’s like you said embrace yourself which I think is amazing.
Tara: Yeah, to allow us to embrace our selves going, carrying on and everything. Something that will help us embrace ourselves as a woman. So, no matter what society has against us, we know that we are women and we are strong and that we are amazing and we are phenomenal. So, yes.
Alice: That’s awesome. Yes, we are phenomenal. Yes. And Tara, if there was something that you could give as advice to yourself like ten years ago, what would it have been?
Tara: Well, definitely don’t listen to what anybody has to say about you because you’re amazing as of best now I would see. And trying not to overthink situations, you got this and, take everything patiently and take everything slowly. Everything happens for a reason. Whatever happens is inevitable, live in the moment.
Alice: That’s awesome. I love that “live in the moment.” I think we should all do that with this crazy year that we’ve had.
Tara: I totally agree with that.
Alice: Yeah. And how can people find out more about Empowering Our Women?
Tara: Well, we have an Instagram and Facebook and Twitter account, so you can check it out at Empowering Our Women SLU.
Alice: Okay. Perfect. Awesome. And is there anything else you want to add to our listeners today?
Tara: To be honest, I’m not so sure, but the most I would advise is that you check out the page, and at least so interest and interaction file post as well, and we’re open to donations for our second and third cycle for our prepared[?] project. So, if you think you want to be a donator, we are open to receiving all donations right now. A
Alice: Amazing. Thank you so much for being on the podcast today Tara.
Tara: You’re welcome. Thank you for having me, it’s a great pleasure to be here.
If you liked this article, check out the rest of our interviews on our podcast Weekly Woman.
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